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Despite being described as one the pioneers for women’s rugby league, the Cronulla Sharks have been denied a licence for the first season of the new women’s NRL competition.
The NRL on Tuesday morning announced the inaugural season would be a four-team competition, set to be played at the back-end of the 2018 season, with the women’s grand final slated to be played on the same day as the men’s grand final.
Instead, the competition will feature the St George Illawarra Dragons, New Zealand Warriors, Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters.
NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said he thinks the balance is right for the first season.
“We think we’ve got the balance right for our first year and I would expect more NRL clubs to join the competition in the years ahead,” Greenberg said.
“The formation of a women’s premiership is one of the most exciting developments the game has seen.
“For the first time, our best female players will have the opportunity to play in an NRL competition – on the game’s biggest stage.”
When the NRL originally announced the competition in early December last year, it was slated to be a six-team competition, however, the NRL have gone down the smaller four-team path.
At the time of the original announcement, Greenberg said the competition would start small and ensure quality was there before expanding, meaning the Sharks could be waiting years for a team, pending on which route the NRL decides to take.
“We are not going to rush in with a larger competition until we have the numbers to give it the quality it deserves,” he said.
“But I have no doubt that, as more women take up the game, the competition will grow.”
The Sharks have been supposedly overlooked due to a geographical spread of the teams, but leaving either the Dragons or Sharks out of the competition smacks of crazy.
The two clubs were the first to have women signed on full-time contracts and have regularly competed in nines matches before their men’s matches over the last three years. The Sharks made the first move in contracting Ruan Sims.
The Sharks are also currently undefeated and leading the under-18s Tarsha Gale Cup. CEO Barry Russell said he was disappointed by the decision.
“I’m extremely disappointed and dumbfounded by the decision,” said Russell in a statement released by the club.
“We have sound experience and in-depth knowledge of women’s rugby league after launching the Cronulla Sharks Women’s Series team and hosting the Women’s Rugby League World Cup in 2017.
“The focus our club has given to the women’s pathway, from the Tarsha Gale team, to the introduction of League Touch and the commitment to offer the same opportunities to women as we do men, which all make this decision difficult to comprehend.”
The Roosters became the first club last weekend to host a Tarsha Gale Cup game as the curtain raiser to an NRL game.
On the weekend the @sydneyroosters became the first @NRL club to hold a Tarsha Gale Game as a curtain raiser before the men’s game. AND up to 5pm also charged $5 entry fee with over 1,000 people turning up. The future is bright for women’s footy. @AusJillaroos
— LadiesWhoLeague (@LadiesWhoLeague) March 26, 2018
Including the Broncos ensures there is a Queensland presence in the competition, while including the Warriors also seemed like a no-brainer in the fight to expand rugby league among women across the Tasman.
A national women’s premiership has also been announced, with teams from around the country set to compete over a three-day window on the first weekend in June, while the women’s State of Origin has also been confirmed for Friday June 22.
It's going to be an exciting year! #OurWay pic.twitter.com/0x838Nmkey
— Women's Rugby League (@WRugbyLeague) March 26, 2018
The women’s premiership is likely to begin in early September.